Removable tongue position corrective anti-snoring and anti-suffocating device

ABSTRACT

A comfortable and viable and removable device of channel-type tongue position correction for anti-snoring. The device is made of wire or band material, including a fixer, an upper and nether force-components which are connected with the fixer. The device is mostly applied on upper jaw. The force end of the upper force-component is designed to be suitable to the soft palate palatine velum, and acts to raise up the soft palate palatine velum and uvula upward/upward and backward suitably. The force end of the nether force-component is designed to be suitable to the normal configuration of the corpora linguae (anterior tongue), and acts on the portion in front of the sensitive position of the hind half of the corpora linguae (anterior tongue) to press the big tongue downward/downward and forward. Thus, depending on the co-action of the upper and nether force-components, the blocked respiratory tract could be expanded to prevent snore and remit sleep apnoea syndrome.

This application is a national phase entry and claims priority fromPatent Cooperation Treaty application PCT/CN2004/000621, filed Jul. 9,2004, which claims priority from Chinese patent application 03129136.8,filed Jun. 9, 2003, the contents of all of which are incorporated hereinby reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a snore curing field, especiallyrelates to a comfortable and viable and removable device of channel-typetongue position correction for anti-snoring for preventing snore andremitting sleep apnoea syndrome (i.e. the so-called the snoring withsuffocating).

BACKGROUND ART

The snore is a rebarbative but very familiar physiological phenomenon,it results in not only affecting other sleeping person in the same oradjacent room, but also an apnoea and even suffocation for short ofoxygen, then induces many diseases, harms to health, reduces theefficiency of work and learning and even reduces life-span. The basicreason for snore is an obstructive respiratory tract, people in clinicfound that most of the snore is caused by the intra-oral organs (mainlybig tongue root and uvula) to block wholly or partially thenasopharyngeal cavity. The intra-oral structure of each people may beslowly deformed along with the increased age, increased fat and flabbymuscle etc. The palate and tongue form a natural barrier in the mouth toassist the food swallowing and air transferring, if the palate isgradually drooping and the big tongue is gradually raising, the innerform of oral cavity would be changed to result in blocking the tract,and form a “whistle” effect, the snoring is thus produced. The curingmethod for snore includes operation, medicine and positive press breathmachine assistant and orthopedics method. Among which, the orthopedicsmethod is no traumatic, no side-effect, and simple and convenient, thushas a well development in the future.

The former utility model (90215295) discloses an orthopedics method ofNiTi shape memory alloy anti-snoring device, it is made from the NiTishape memory alloy material to manufacture a force component thatsuitable to the normal tongue root or soft palate, and acts on theaffected part (i.e. the big tongue root and uvula) of patient's body tostop the snoring. FIG. 1 is a schematic show in the prior part of myChinese patent 9021529.5 (i.e. CN2,075,076). Apart from the plastic base27 and a clasp 29, it also uses a support bar 28, a force-component 25and a holding plate 26 embedded in the plastic base 27. As seen in FIG.1, it is an anti-snoring device designed to suit the mandibles, and oneend of the lower force-component 25 is connected with the support bar 28and embedded with it in the plastic base 27, the other end of the lowerforce-component 25 bows along the back of the tongue to the tongue'smidline, turns to the tongue root, then is embedded in the lower holdingplate 26; one end of the upper force-component 25 is also embedded inthe lower holding plate 26, the other end of the upper force-component25 bends in a semicircular arc, takes advantage of the opportunity toextend backwardly and up to the uvula, and then is embedded in the upperholding plate 26. It should be pointed out, however, that this priortechnique has the three fatal flaws listed below: (1) it often suffersfrom the upward pushing force from the big tongue root since it ismostly applied on lower jaw, the pushing force is conducted throughclasp to the teeth and will produce some bad pain as pulling out teeth;(2) since it directly acts on the uvula position, but after researchpeople find that the other tissue near the uvula (e.g. tongue palate bowand palate tonsil) is more sensitive and easy to cause itch and nausea;(3) since it acts directly on the big tongue root, and after research wefind that the big tongue root itself is specially sensitive and easierto cause pain and nausea. The above three defects prevent it from, theapplication of the invention, resulted in only about 1-2 of every 100patients who could be fitted with a limited comforts. Therefore theinvention is actually a faulty, impractical and ineffective invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The purpose of the present invention is to overcome the above drawbacks,providing a comfortable and viable and removable device of channel-typetongue position correction for anti-snoring, which indeed makes patientseasily adapt and accept it with the ideal anti-snoring andanti-suffocating effects.

The technical scheme of the present invention is as follows: it makesuse of wire or band material provided with suitable elasticity andrigidity to manufacture a comfortable and viable and removable device ofchannel-type tongue position correction for anti-snoring which mostlyapplied on upper jaw, it includes at least a fixer, an upperforce-component and a lower force-component, each end (i.e. non-forceend) of the upper and lower force-component is connected with the fixer,the other end (i.e. force end) of the said upper force-component isdesigned to be suitable to the normal configuration of the soft palatepalatine, the head has a support plate and is designed to be located onthe portion in front of the sensitive position of the soft palatepalatine, it could suitably raise up the palatine and uvula (i.e. “smalltongue”) upward/upward and backward without causing discomfort andnausea of peripheral tissue; the other end (i.e. force end) of the saidlower force-component is designed to be suitable to the normalconfiguration of the posterior of the tongue, the head has a supportplate and is designed to be located on the portion in front of thesensitive position of the posterior of the big tongue, and could pressthe big tongue downward/downward and forward without causing discomfortand nausea of peripheral tissue. In this way, the blocked respiratorytract could be enlarged, and on the premise of comfort, it works toprevent snoring and remit sleep apnoea syndrome (i.e. the suffocating).

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is an illustrative view showing the NiTi shape memory alloyanti-snoring device of the prior art China patent 90215295;

FIG. 2 is an illustrative view showing the 1st embodiment of thecomfortable and viable and removable device of channel-type tongueposition correction for anti-snoring according to the present invention;

FIG. 3 is an illustrative view showing the 2nd embodiment of thecomfortable and viable and removable device of channel-type tongueposition correction for anti-snoring according to the present invention;

FIG. 4 is an illustrative view showing the 3rd embodiment of thecomfortable and viable and removable device of channel-type tongueposition correction for anti-snoring according to the present invention;

FIG. 5 is an illustrative view showing the 4th embodiment of thecomfortable and viable and removable device of channel-type tongueposition correction for anti-snoring device according to the presentinvention;

FIG. 6 is an illustrative view showing the 5th embodiment of thecomfortable and viable and removable device of channel-type tongueposition correction for anti-snoring according to the present invention;

FIG. 7 is an illustrative view showing the 6th embodiment of thecomfortable and viable and removable device of channel-type tongueposition correction for anti-snoring according to the present invention;

FIG. 8 is an illustrative view showing the 7th embodiment of thecomfortable and viable and removable device of channel-type tongueposition correction for anti-snoring according to the present invention;

FIG. 9 is an illustrative view showing the 8th embodiment of thecomfortable and viable and removable device of channel-type tongueposition correction for anti-snoring according to the present invention;

FIG. 10 is an illustrative view showing the 9th embodiment of thecomfortable and viable and removable device of channel-type tongueposition correction for anti-snoring according to the present invention;

FIG. 11 is an illustrative view showing the 10th embodiment of thecomfortable and viable and removable device of channel-type tongueposition correction for anti-snoring according to the present invention;

FIG. 12 is an illustrative view showing the 11th embodiment of thecomfortable and viable and removable device of channel-type tongueposition correction for anti-snoring according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS

In the figures, 1 is the fixer, 2 is the upper force-component, 3 is thelower force-component, 4 is the support plate, 5 is the base support(tongue support/palate support/collar support), 6 is the support bar(lingual bar/palatal bar/cheek bar/labial bar), 7 is the direct fixer(collar/lip bow etc), 8 is the indirect fixer (tongue plate/palateplate/pole etc), 9 is the additional functional part (guideplate/occlusal plate/occlusal pad etc), 10 is the circle fixer(ring/coronet etc), 11 is the link bar, 12 is the connector, 13 is theadjustment, 14 is the teeth, 15 is the clip, 16 is the connecting wire,17 is the group clips, 18 is the axial clip, 19 is theattachment/magnetic implant, 20 is the complete denture, 21 is theconcealed dental prosthesis, 22 is tooth cover, 25 is chen's forcecomponent, 26 is chen's holding plate, 27 is chen's plastic base, 28 ischen's support bar, 29 is chen's clasp.

Refer to FIG. 2, the comfortable and viable and removable device ofchannel-type tongue position correction for anti-snoring according tothe present invention is mostly applied on upper jaw, including fixer 1,upper force-component 2 and lower force-component 3, the upperforce-component 2 and lower force-component 3 are made of material(preferably high elastic alloy wire or band) provided with suitableelasticity and rigidity. The extension part (i.e. the connector 12) ofthe non-force end of the upper force-component 2 is embedded in thefixer 1, the other end (i.e. force end) is designed to be suitable tothe normal configuration of the soft palate palatine, the head has asupport plate 4 and is designed to be located on the portion in front ofthe sensitive position of the soft palate palatine and little withstandit. Thus, on the premise of not causing discomfort and nausea ofperipheral tissue, it could bring an externally reinforced force to thesoft palate palatine to prevent snoring. The connector 12 of thenon-force end of the lower force-component 3 is also embedded in thefixer 1, but the other end (i.e. force end) is bowed first along thepalatine median suture to the anterior lip, then bowed downwardly andbackwardly away from the anterior lip, the check side like a bowed nosebridge along the palate, the bottom of bridge is designed to be suitableto the normal configuration of the posterior of the big tongue, the headof the force end of the lower force-component has a support plate 4 andis designed to be located on the portion in front of the sensitiveposition of the posterior of the big tongue, and press the big tonguedownward/downward and forward, thus, on the premise of not causingdiscomfort and nausea of peripheral tissue, the tongue root is pinnedeffectively to prevent shrinking backward and closing up the palatine oruvula to cause the pharyngonasal cavity blocking and produce suffocatingand snoring, and the co-action of the upper and lower force-components2,3 could remarkably enlarge and keep the intra-oral effective innerspace, thus could increase the breath efficiency and prevent developingsleep apnoea syndrome. The support plate 4 set on the head portion ofthe force end of the upper and lower force components 2,3 is to dividethe force of the force-components 2,3 onto the contact position evenly.The support plate 4 is generally made from synthetic resin (plastic etc)and/or soft polymer material (silicon rubber etc); and its size andshape should be suitable to the position.

In the comfortable and viable and removable device of channel-typetongue position correction for anti-snoring according to the presentinvention, the fixer 1 may have various forms. As FIG. 2 shows, it isonly a normal form, which suitable for snoring patients with good teethfixing. The fixer includes base support 5 (here is a palatal base),support bar 6 (here is a palatal bar) and direct fixer 7 (collar etc),the whole anti-snoring device is fixed onto the suitable position of theupper jaw of the patient. And the indirect fixer 8 (palate-plate/poleetc) may be used in need to reinforce fixing and safety factor.

Refer to FIG. 3, it shows a comfortable and viable and removable deviceof channel-type tongue position correction for anti-snoring according tothe present invention including at least the base support 5 and supportbar 6 (here is a labial bar). Its base support may be made of plasticwith soft polymer material (silicon rubber etc) covering on it toincrease the flexibility with the palate; In terms of need, the palateside may add the support bar 6 (palatal bar) to increase rigidity and/ordecrease base support's area; Vertical curve may be set on the labialbar for dismounting. This kind of the anti-snoring device is suitablefor the snoring patient with good dentition condition of palate.

Refer to FIG. 4, it shows a comfortable and viable and removable deviceof channel-type tongue position correction for anti-snoring according tothe present invention, which includes at least base support 5 (here is acollar support) and direct fixer 7 (here is clip 15, connecting wire 16,group clips 17, axial clip 18 etc). The lip-cheek side and tongue-palateside of the collar support may respectively make use of the partialsupport bar (labial bar/lingual palatal bar) to increase the rigidityand/or decrease base support's area, an indirect fixer 8(palate-plate/pole etc) may also be added to reinforce fixing, this kindof the anti-snoring device is suitable for the snoring patient with poorfixing, the force-component 3 is similar to a semi-tube with a seam inmiddle of it as figure shows.

Refer to FIG. 5, it shows a comfortable and viable and removable deviceof channel-type tongue position correction for anti-snoring according tothe present invention, which uses at least the function accessory 9(here is an occlusal pad) as the fixer. It requires that the occlusalsurface of the occlusal pad should have a deep groove to cover the toothtip and incisal edge. To increase rigidity, the support bar 6 (lingualpalatal bar/labial bar) may be set and the postdam may be closed. Thiskind of the anti-snoring device is suitable for the snoring patient withgood teeth fixing or small occlusal height.

Refer to FIG. 6, it shows a comfortable and viable and removable deviceof channel-type tongue position correction for anti-snoring according tothe present invention which uses at least the complete denture 20 as thefixer. Its tongue-palate side may also be added a support bar (lingualpalatal bar) to decrease the base support's area. This kind of theanti-snoring device is suitable for the snoring patient with non dentaljaw.

Refer to FIG. 7, it shows a comfortable and viable and removable deviceof channel-type tongue position correction for anti-snoring according tothe present invention which uses at least the coving dental prosthesisor magnetic implant as the fixer, characterized in that it has parts toform a complete set with precision attachment/button circular key ormagnetic implant 19. It is suitable for the snoring patient with manybad teeth or high fixing requirement. Its postdam may be closed, andadded a support bar 6 (lingual palatal bar etc) or netlike bracket toincrease rigidity.

Refer to FIG. 8, it shows a comfortable and viable and removable deviceof channel-type tongue position correction for anti-snoring according tothe present invention which uses at least the concealed dentalprosthesis as the fixer. A base support (plastic) may be set on thetongue palate side to increase rigidity and embed the support bar(lingual palatal bar etc), and its postdam may be closed. This kind ofthe anti-snoring device is suitable for the snoring patient with nondental jaw and less teeth of high quality requirement.

Refer to FIG. 9, it shows a comfortable and viable and removable deviceof channel-type tongue position correction for anti-snoring according tothe present invention which uses at least the support bar 6 (here is alingual palatal bar) and circle fixer 10 (ring/coronet etc) as thefixer. The non-force end of the force-component is connected with thecircle fixer 10 in a suitable way. This kind of the anti-snoring deviceis suitable for the snoring patient with good dental arch and teeth gap.

Refer to FIG. 10, it shows a comfortable and viable and removable deviceof channel-type tongue position correction for anti-snoring according tothe present invention which uses at least the tooth cover 22 of theupper and lower jaws and cheek side link bar 11 as the fixer. A basesupport (plastic) may be set on the tongue palate side, and the supportbar (lingual palatal bar) may be embedded in the plastic base support.This kind of the anti-snoring device is suitable for the snoring patientwith the shrinking backward of the lower jaw plus abnormal tongueposition.

It should notice that, the upper force-component 2 and lowerforce-component 3 are the most special parts of the anti-snoring device,enough elasticity and suitable rigidity are both extremely important,any one of which is indispensable. Meanwhile, the suitable thickness ordiameter is important also, it may directly affect the elasticity. Indesign, the force-components 2,3 may be connected with the support bar6, or separated as FIG. 12 shows; it may use same material and size ordifferent material and size. The force end of the force-component 3 maypoint directly to the end position in form of spring, single wire andband or spring tube (as FIG. 11 and FIG. 4 shows), or indirectly to theend position (as FIG. 5 and FIG. 8 shows); The middle of theforce-components 2,3 may at least have an adjustment 13 to adjust thelength and angle as FIG. 12 shows. Meanwhile, the support bar 6 may be alingual bar, palatal bar, cheek bar, labial bar etc; the direct fixer 7may be a clip and lip bow etc; the indirect fixer 8 may be a lingualplate, palate-plate, pole etc; the function accessory 9 may be a guideplate, occlusal plate or occlusal pad etc.

The above-mentioned comfortable and viable and removable device ofchannel-type tongue position correction for anti-snoring device abovehas a good clinic effect and a better design result, it has widerapplicable range and a better effect for more than 98% from 100patients.

Although various exemplary embodiments of the invention have beendisclosed, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art thatvarious changes and modifications can be made which will achieve some ofthe advantage of the invention without departing from the true scope ofthe invention.

1. A comfortable and viable and removable device of channel-type tongueposition correction for anti-snoring, comprising: a fixer; an upperforce-component connected with the fixer, and having a force end; and alower force-component connected with the fixer, and having a force end,wherein: the fixer is located at an upper jaw of a user, or at both theupper jaw and a lower jaw of the user; the force end of the upperforce-component is designed to be suitable to a normal configuration ofa soft palate palatine of the user, the force end of the upperforce-component having a support plate, the support plate being designedto be located on a portion in front of a sensitive position of the softpalate palatine, allowing the support plate to suitably raise up thesoft palate palatine and an uvula of the user upward/upward and backwardwithout causing discomfort and nausea to a peripheral tissue of theuser; the force end of the lower force-component is designed to besuitable to a normal configuration of a posterior of a big tongue of theuser, the force end of the lower force-component having a support plate,the support plate being designed to be located on the portion in frontof a sensitive position of the posterior of the tongue, allowing thesupport plate to press the big tongue downward/downward and forwardwithout causing discomfort and nausea of peripheral tissue; and theupper and lower force-components are made of elastic and rigid materialwith a gap between them to enlarge an inner space of oral inner space toincrease the efficiency of the user's breath, and wherein the lowerforce-component extends from the fixer in a forward direction, and isdesigned to bow first along the user's palatine median suture to theuser's anterior lip, then bow downwardly and backwardly away from theanterior lip, so that the lower force-component forms a nose-likeprotuberance having at least one bend seen from a user's cheek side,with an appropriate space between the upside and the bottom of thenose-like protuberance.
 2. The device according to claim 1, wherein theupper force-component and/or lower force-component are made of wire orband material with suitable thickness or diameter.
 3. The deviceaccording to claim 2, wherein the upper force-component and/or lowerforce-component are made of elastic wire and/or band.
 4. The deviceaccording to claim 1, wherein the support plate has a suitable shape andsize and is made from synthetic resin and/or soft polymer material. 5.The device according to claim 1, wherein the fixer includes any one ormore of a base support and a support bar, and the fixer is comprised ofany one or more of synthetic resin, metal, soft polymer material,concealed dental prosthesis material.
 6. The device according to claim5, wherein: the denture base support is a tongue support or a palatesupport or a collar support; the support bar is a palatal bar, a lingualbar, a labial bar or a cheek bar.
 7. The device according to claim 5,wherein the synthetic resin is plastic or white latex, and the softpolymer material is silicone rubber.
 8. The device according to claim 1,wherein the fixer is a covering dental prosthesis or a tooth cover or amagnetic implant dental prosthesis.
 9. The device according to claim 1,wherein the fixer includes, at its side facing a cheek of the user, alink bar that is capable of moving the jaws in case of setting the fixeron the upper and lower jaws simultaneously.
 10. The device according toclaim 1, wherein the upper and lower force-components have an adjustmentat their respective middle portions to adjust the length and angle inclinic.
 11. The device according to claim 1, wherein the upperforce-component and/or lower force-component are at least made of singlewire or single band material.
 12. The device according to claim 11,wherein the upper force-component and/or lower force-component are madeof elastic wire and/or band.
 13. The device according to claim 1,wherein the upper and lower force-components have an adjustment at theirrespective middle portions to adjust the length and angle in clinic. 14.The device according to claim 1, wherein the fixer includes a link barand a circle fixer connected with the link bar, and the circle fixer isa ring or a a coronet.
 15. The device according to claim 1, wherein: theupper force-component has a non-force end that is embedded in the fixer;if the final position of the support plate of the upper force-componentis regarded as a target location, from the vertical view of theanti-snoring device, the upper force-component points directly to thetarget location from its non-force end; and if the final position of thesupport plate of the lower force-component is regarded as a targetlocation, from the vertical view of the anti-snoring device, the lowerforce-component points directly to the target location from itsnon-force end.
 16. The device according to claim 15, wherein: the lowerforce-component has a non-force end that is embedded in the fixer, thenon-force end of the lower force-component is separated from thenon-force end of the upper force-component; if the final position of theforce end of the upper force-component is regarded as a target location,from the vertical view of the anti-snoring device, the upperforce-component points directly to the target location from the fixertoward a first direction; and/or if the final position of the force endof the lower force-component is regarded as a target location, from thevertical view of the anti-snoring device, the lower force-componentpoints directly to the target location from the fixer toward a seconddirection opposite to the first direction.